Timebomb
by Death Jester
Summary: When a latent Mutant is found near the ground of Xavier's School, it set into motion a chain of events that could prove catastrophic (rating subject to change)
1. Timebomb

Timebomb "Another nightmare about to come true will manifest tomorrow" Disturbed - Prayer  
  
It began as a normal day at the Xavier School for Gifted People; classes went on as normal, the Teachers going about their business as they always did. It was in Professor Xavier's Physics class that things started to happen. As the older gentleman was using his powers to illustrate what he was talking about, as was his habit, there was a knock at his door. "Come in Ororo" He said before she had a chance to announce herself, and she came in with four small drab green dossier's with her. "Sir, may I speak with you, it's urgent. " The professor looked at her and nodded. "Alright class, I want a diagram and a full description of a Black Hole on my desk by Friday" He said, dismissing the class. He turned in his wheelchair and looked at Ororo. "Yes Ororo, what is it?" he asked. "The dossier's you asked for come today, and there have been some irregularities at the high school." "What do you mean irregularities?" He looked at her, slightly confused. There wasn't much that he didn't know about that went on at the school where his students attended normal classes. "Well, I think we've found a few timebombs" The Professor looked at her. These were mutants that usually had sporadic jolts of power, which gave them the nickname 'Timebomb', as they had no idea when they'd go off next. "How many Latents has Jean found?" he asked, looking at her. "Four sir, and one of them attends the high school with our students" "Really, well then, see if they'll come" he said, looking at her. "Yes sir" She said. Ororo knew that the Professor didn't like the term 'Timebomb', and she quietly left the Professor's classroom, a bit ashamed. Professor Xavier went to the window and looked out it. "A latent within my powers range and I didn't feel it? Puzzling." was all he said as he watched the sun set.  
  
"Gavin! Gavin Strommier! Get in this house this instant!!" A shrill female voice echoed through the alleyways as a young man trudged towards the dumpy little apartment that he had called home. He looked up, his adoptive mother was standing there in a bathrobe with her hair up in curlers. "Sorry ma`m, getting late week groceries" he said, holding up two bags of groceries. "You know you should be home at 6:30p.m sharp every night!! It's almost seven! Do you know what a state you've put me and your father in!?" she said, taking the groceries, with no word of a thank you, and the young man walked into the living room/t.v. room. "Sir, I'm sorry I was late, sir, we were getting low on lunch meat and milk, so I went and bought enough for the rest of the week" "What kind?" "Honey Ham and 2% milk, just as you said" "Good work, now go do your homework" was all the greasy lump of a man said as he channel surfed. Gavin walked to his room in the basement and went to work. He sat down and looked at himself in the small mirror, a broken shard of a larger mirror that he had found and smuggled into his room, and sighed. He was 17, a skinny young man with scraggly hair and a pockmarked face. His muddy green/brown eyes were hard to see through the mop of dark hair that covered his face. He tossed off his backpack, sat down at his desk, and began to work. He was finished at eight o'clock, and as he sat down on his bed to begin to read, he heard a loud 'CRASH!' from upstairs. He got up and went to the kitchen, grabbing a mop, broom, dust pan and bucket as he did. His adoptive mother was standing at the doorway, tapping her foot on the ground and looking at him. "Your father decided to try and pitch his beer bottle into the waste basket from the t.v. room. Of course, it went through the window. Now go and clean it up!" she screeched at him. Gavin nodded and went. He had the mess clean in about five minuets, as the window had broken into large chunks, and they were easy to pick up. The last shard, a long one about four inches wide, slipped from his hand as he was picking it up and slit the fleshy heel of his palm deeply. He sucked in his breath as the bright blood began to seep from the wound. He picked up the shards of glass and pitched them, not paying any mind to his wound. Before he went inside, he wrapped his hand in a shred of cloth from his shirt, then stuffed it in his pocket. He walked inside and looked at his mother. "It's done, can I go to the bathroom?" "Go on, go on, don't want no-one from your blasted school phoning and saying I have a dirty, smelly son" she said as she turned away from him. Gavin shrugged and walked to the bathroom and unwrapped his hand, still bleeding and filled with dirt. He washed the cut out slowly with cold water as he was always taught, then poured a good amount of rubbing alcohol on the cut. He winced, but was silent. He wrapped the hand in a large bandage, then covered it with a flesh-coloured tensor bandage. Gavin went back downstairs to his room and pulled out his book. It was a journal that he had kept since he had learned to write. It was really a folder, but he had punched holes through the margin's of the paper he had and put corresponding ones on the folder and bound it together with some metal wire he had found one day. Every week he would unbind the pages and add more to the folder. Gavin's mind was on autopilot as he unbound the pages, nearing two thousand now, and added this week's pile, another fifty or so. He re- wrapped the folder in its cloth and sat it back under his bed. Gavin looked at himself in the mirror again. He knew that he was on the bottom rung of life, a young adoptive boy who was worked like a slave for his family, treated much the same at school, the students giving him a hard time about the way he dressed or about his hair. The students never really pushed him though, they just enjoyed pestering him. Gavin lay down on his bed and simply stayed there until he fell asleep. 


	2. Explosion

It was the next Monday when it happened. Gavin was walking down the hall when he tripped. Of course, he wouldn't've tripped if the Football Captain hadn't stuck his foot out. Gavin picked himself up, shrugged, and kept on walking. The Captain looked at Gavin and smiled. He walked forwards, catching up with Gavin quickly. "Hey there. Calvin, right?" "Gavin, sir" he said quietly, not even looking up at the Captain. "Oh, that's right, Gavin. I hear you're pretty smart Gavin. Whadda you say if you help me with my homework?" "What classes you takin' sir?" "Math, Business, some other stuff." The Captain looked over his shoulder, one of his buddies moved into position. Gavin moved to un- shoulder his back-pack, and the Captain's buddy snatched it from him. Gavin turned and looked at him. "Can I have that back please?" He said in that same soft tone. He looked at the guy, he was about a foot taller than Gavin and had about seventy-five pounds on him. The guy held the backpack for a moment, then tossed it to the Captain. "Oh, this is really mature`" Gavin said as he turned to get his backpack. The Captain just grinned and tossed it to another of his buddies. Gavin turned again to get the backpack, and again it was tossed. Gavin looked at them, waiting for them to tire of this and either give his backpack back, or to do something with it. The Captain tossed it again, and then he smiled. "Here! Toss it back!" He called as he moved into position. The Captain took the backpack and began to open it. Gavin's lip curled ever so slightly. "Hey, you mind, that's MY bag" he said with a slightly louder voice. The Captain grinned and two of his buddies came up behind Gavin and grabbed him, locking their arms around his arms and holding him back. The Captain rummaged around in Gavin's backpack, and pulled out a small leather bound book. This was Gavin's prize possession. This book was his journal, and he had bought it with his own money, something he scarcely had. Gavin looked at the Captain. "Do you MIND! That's MY stuff, give it BACK!" he said, looking at the captain. He grinned and opened the book. He began to peruse the pages, a grin on his face as he read. He snickered a little and looked at Gavin. "We had heard you were poor, but this is just too much!" he said, laughing. Everything Gavin was feeling was in that book and he was nearly shaking with rage as the Captain heaped insult after insult upon Gavin's writing. The Captain grinned at Gavin, and Gavin knew that something was going to happen. He knew it was going to be bad too. "Hey guys! Get a load of this!! Seems our young man Gavin 'ere has the hot's for a certain Miss Jean Grey!" The whole bunch of them broke out into laughter, and even a few of the students that had started to filter in smirked. Gavin ground his teeth and tried to get out of the hold he was in, but to no avail, the two linemen were stronger then him and had a grip like iron. "Give it BACK!" Gavin almost snarled it out. The Captain grinned at him and leaned in. "You like Muties, don't you, freak? I bet you wanna be one of them, don't you, freak" Gavin was a young man that had a very long fuse, and the Captain had just about burned it all away. The Captain grinned, almost leering, and he looked at his buddies. "I guess our little freak here might need a lesson. Maybe I should give it to him" He grinned, cracking his knuckles and then he looked at Gavin. He sneered at him, and tore the journal in half. Gavin went numb. Gavin had expected have the anger inside him explode out in one giant rush, but it was as if everything inside him just stopped working. His vision dimmed and he felt as if he was falling, falling.. falling down into darkness.  
  
He awoke looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling. A singular fluorescent light blazed down at him. The bed he was in was soft, and it felt like fresh sheets were on it. There was only one problem, Gavin couldn't move. Try as he might, he couldn't budge. "Hello?" he called out, his voice quivering a little. He could hear movement from beside him, but couldn't even move his head to see anything. "Hello!" he called again, and he heard a door open and the whirring of a small motor. "Hello" said a man's voice. Gavin still struggled against his bonds. "I can't move" Gavin said, his voce edged with panic. "It's okay, calm down" the man said. "Where am I? How did I get here?" Gavin asked, still trying to move. "What's the last thing you remember Gavin? "What? How'd you know my name?" he asked, speaking quickly and getting even more panicky. "Mr. Strommier, please calm down, can you tell me the last thing you remember?" Gavin sat very still for a moment and thought. He remembered that idiot Mike tearing his journal in half, then that sensation of falling. He told the man. "That is good Mr. Strommier. Now, your in the hospital, you were brought here after a fight at school." "What? What'd they do to me?" he asked, not feeling any pain anywhere. Panic flashed through his mind again. He was paralysed, most likely from the neck down. He was going to be a lump of flesh for the rest of his life.  
  
"It's okay Gavin, you're not paralysed," Said the man, his voice soft and soothing. "The police have asked that you stay in restraints until we ascertain you're okay" Gavin blanched at that. What had he done? "Oh god.what'd I do?" he asked in a low, almost inaudible tone. The man walked forward, and Gavin looked up into the blue-haired face of one Hank McCoy, a well-respected doctor, who also happened to be a mutant. "Mr. McCoy? Am I. in trouble?" Gavin asked his voice thin with fright.  
  
"Well young lad, we don't know that yet, that's why I'm here. Now tell me, have you ever experienced anything like this before?" "Like what?" "Well, Black-outs, missing time, memory gaps, anything like that?" "No sir. never... at least.. I don't think so." "Think Gavin, is there any other missing time in your memories?" Gavin looked up at him, quite frightened and very worried. Gavin thought some more, trying to find anything else missing from his memory. "No sir. no missing time at all" he said, still frightened. Mr. McCoy walked away for a moment, and spoke with someone else. "I think he's the latent Jean found" "I thought as much. Please, try and get him relocated to our facility" said a voice that Gavin didn't know. "I'll try Professor" Mr. McCoy said. Gavin heard the motor whirr and slowly get softer. "Uh. Mr. McCoy, can you please tell me what's going on?" The doctor walked back over and looked at him. "Well my young lad, it seems that your latent powers activated for a moment, and you caused a great amount of damage to the school." "What are you talking about? I'm no Mutant. I'm just me" "It seems that you're wrong Mr. Strommier, our testing and the incident at the school seems to state otherwise." "What! What did I do! Please! Tell me!" Gavin was worried. Not for himself, but for his adoptive parents. He knew that he'd receive a thrashing that would put him back here, maybe for life, if his 'father', a strong supporter of the Anti-Mutant sentiment, ever caught wind that his son was a mutant. "Gavin.. Gavin calm down. I'll tell you, but please, try to keep calm" Gavin looked at him as the colour drained away from his face. He had heard that tone used once before, when he had been told that he was going to be put into the adoptive care of his Aunt and Uncle, the Doctor that told him used that same tone. "Oh god.. What happened" he said in a soft tone. Doctor McCoy looked at him and frowned a little. "Well. it seems that you were being tormented by a few of your schoolmates, and that you snapped, or as we've termed it, 'Exploded'. The next thing we knew there were a multitude of calls coming in that there was a mutant on the rampage at the school. It took nearly all of us to bring you under control, but not before you destroyed most of the school and killed about twenty or thirty people." Gavin looked at him. "You've got to be. but how. why? How could I. I would never. I just.." Gavin looked at the Doctor, blinked once, and just lay there, not moving, barely breathing, and his vision started to blur. He blinked once. "I could never do that sir. ask my parents." Doctor McCoy looked at young man quizzically. "What do you mean?" "It's been beaten out of me" Gavin said in a soft, hushed voice. Doctor McCoy looked at him, his jaw hanging lower then it usually did. 


	3. Shockwave

It was later in the month that the police and hospital staff allowed Doctor McCoy to remove the harnesses holding Gavin down. The young man sat up and looked around for the first time in weeks, his neck cracking loudly. Gavin swung his legs over the side of the bed and set his hands down beside him, pushing himself off the bed, and he nearly screamed in pain. The wound on his right hand hadn't healed yet, and it was very painful. Doctor McCoy walked towards him and looked at him. "Are you okay lad?" he asked, concerned. "Hm? Oh.. yeah.. I guess" he said, his injured hand throbbing. The Doctor looked at him, knowing that he was in pain, and smiled a little. "You sure you're okay, no cuts or abrasions that I can look at?" he asked in a quiet voice. "I guess.. Except maybe for this." he said, holding up his bandaged hand. No one had thought to look at the wound, and with the tensor bandage on it, the doctor's hadn't really noticed it in their rush to put the restraints on. The Doctor took Gavin's hand and carefully began to unbind it. "You know, you should've had this looked at by a medical professional" Doctor McCoy said as he looked at the wound. "Doctor's cost money, something we don't have" "Well Gavin, it seems you've developed a nasty infection here. You didn't let the wound breathe long enough, so you trapped some bacteria in the wound, and in the moist, dark confines of this tensor bandage, it's had ample time to grow into a full blow infection. Now, I think that you should get some anti-inflammatories in you and a good dose of penicillin into you too." "Can't take 'em. Allergic to most medications. Only thing that ever worked for me is no longer available." Doctor McCoy looked at him. "Well, I guess we could try and synthesize some of this drug that works for you" "I guess you could try.. I think it's mentioned in my medical folder" The Doctor looked at him and nodded. "No, I meant the one at my home. though I guess that I'm not going back there" Doctor McCoy raised an eyebrow at the young man. "Why ever not young man?" he asked. "You don't know my Aunt and Uncle. They've most likely torn my room apart and tossed all of my things out." "No lad, not at all. Professor Xavier went to them and they were obligingly happy to see him. He asked them if he could take you to our School, free of charge, and help you" "So you mean.. I'm. not going home?" Gavin asked, his voice soft and almost hollow. "Well, that's up to you. The final decision is up to you. Would you like to come to our School and learn? I can promise that it will be better than the high school." "I. I.. I guess.. but. did my parents. aunt and uncle. however you want to term them.. did they even seem. phased at you coming to see them?" "I don't believe so. the professor said that your aunt and uncle were very happy that you were going to come to our school" Gavin looked at the man, and he began to cry. "Gavin? Are you okay? What's wrong?" asked Doctor McCoy, his voice filled with concern. "I. I.. I guess it was true. I.. they never did want me." he murmured out as he drew his knees up to his chin and sat there silently. Doctor McCoy looked at the lad and blinked. ^What have they done to you lad?^ he thought to himself. "They hate me. They've always hated me. Especially my Aunt.. Mother. I don't care! The damn woman used to put her cigarette's out in my hand! Goddamned bitch never knew when to quit!" Gavin looked up into Doctor McCoy's eyes, tears running down his face. "Mr. McCoy. I'd like to come and stay at the school. I guess there's no place else for me" Gavin said, quietly sobbing and he drew his knees up to his chin again. Mr. McCoy put a hand on Gavin's shoulder softly, which the young man cringed at. "Dear Gods lad, what'd they do to you" he said as he looked at the young wreck of a man. Gavin simply sat there whimpering.  
  
I apologise for this one being so short, I promise the nest one will be longer!! Death Jester. 


	4. Smoke

After four months of intensive testing and psychological work-up's, the young lad was let go from the hospital and into Xavier's School. Gavin's few belongings were moved in and he arrived a day later. He had been given new clothing and school supplies; he was in a state of shock. These people had bought him all these things, and asked for nothing in return. Gavin's room was monstrous to him, after living in a 8 foot by 8 foot space for 17 years, a room that was more than twice that was huge to the lad. He looked at the teacher accompanying him, a lady in her late twenties/early thirties with white hair. "Mrs. Monrou, is this. my room?" Gavin asked in a soft voice. "Yes, now come along, you'll be late for lunch" "Oh. I. not very hungry" The grumble of his stomach betrayed him. Ororo raised a eyebrow and smiled a little. "Well, you should get something into you, now come along and I'll take you to the dining hall" "Yes ma'am" he said, his hands sliding into the new blue jeans he was wearing. He walked down the hall with his head slightly hung, not looking at anyone that he passed on the way. He followed the teacher in front of him to the dining hall, and she smiled. "Come on, I think you'll like the selection" she said as she motioned him towards the order window. He looked up at the menu, and his mouth watered. There was almost everything there, from apple pie to zucchini casserole. "Uhm. just a diet coke and a ham sandwich please" he said in a quite tone. The food was quickly at the window, and he grabbed his wallet. "How much?" he asked as he looked up to the register. Mrs. Monrou smile at him. "The food's free Gavin" He nodded, smiled sheepishly, and tucked the wallet, another thing that had been bought for him, back into his pocket. Gavin shuffled over to a table and began to eat the sandwich as Mrs. Monrou sat down opposite him, with a salad. Gavin didn't even raise his head as he ate, not looking at anything but the small space of table in front of him. Ororo looked at him and smiled slightly. This young man was absolutely terrified about being here, and she was determined to see that he'd acclimatize better. The boy was finished quickly, and he just sat there, motionless as he waited. "Would you like a tour of the grounds Gavin?" asked Ororo as she finished. "If it's not a problem, ma'am" he said, not even looking up. She smiled and got up, and the boy followed her without fail. She was walking down the hall when Gavin bumped into someone. He fell to the ground hard, intentionally cushioning the other person's fall with his body. He looked up into a set of pretty blue eyes, framed by brown hair. He knew this person, a young woman by the name of Kittie. Although she was known to most others at the school as Shadowcat. "Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there!" she said as she stood up. Gavin nearly sprung up as she moved off him, he didn't like being touched. "No problem, should'a been watching where I was going" he said, looking down at the floor. "Hey, you're the new guy, right? Gavin?" "Uh. yeah. uh. Kittie, right?" he asked, his voice soft. "Yes, where you going?" "Mrs. Monrou was going to give me a tour of the grounds" "Oh?" Kittie said, looking at Ororo. "Oh! That's right! Professor Monrou, Professor Xavier wants to see you in his office. He sent me to find you" "Oh. uhm. Well, could you take Gavin on that tour I was planning?" "Sure!" she said, taking Gavin's arm and running off with him in tow. Ororo blinked as she went to the Professor's office. "Yes sir, you wanted to see me?" she asked as she walked into the office. "Yes Ororo, I wanted to get Gavin interacting with a few of his peers. That's why I sent Kittie after you two. She'll be good for him to get to know." "If I didn't know you better professor, I'd say that you were fixing those two up" The Professor only smiled. Gavin was pulled along by Kittie, stumbling as he did. She was whisking him through the halls of the Xavier School, and Gavin was barely able to put a name to the places she pointed out. Gavin finally got to catch his breath when Kittie let him go to open the massive front doors. "So Gavin, you like what you've seen so far?" Kittie asked, smiling at him. "Yeah.. this place seems pretty nice.. I guess" he said softly, not looking at Kittie, but rather looking down at the ground. "Everything okay Gavin?" she asked, looking at him. "Hm? Yeah. fine.. just a little nervous is all" He said, raising his head quickly as he did. Kittie smiled at him. "Hey, chill. You'll be okay, I know this place is a bit different, but trust me, you'll get used to it" she grinned and pulled him along again. Gavin looked at her, her dark brown hair flying back behind her, her pretty smile, her incessant talking. Gavin wasn't one that had a capricious heart, but he felt something blossom inside him. A kind of warm-ness that was hard for him to describe. ^Is this what it's like to make a friend?^ he asked himself as Kittie dragged him along. "Now, this is the water fountain, over there is the woods, and behind the school is a river that leads to a waterfall, I think, and there's not much else around here. But it is a nice to just sit and relax" She said, flashing that thousand watt smile again. "You've got a pretty smile" Gavin said quietly. Kittie blinked once and looked at him, a little surprised. "Sorry.. I just." Gavin said, turning away from her a little. "No, no! It's okay! You just surprised me a little" she said. Gavin looked at her, running a hand through his hair, exposing his eyes for a moment, but also exposing a nasty scar that ran from one side of his head to the other. That was the main reason he let his hair grow so long, to cover that scar. "Hey, neat scar!" she said, Gavin looked down at the ground quickly. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked. "No.. just.. its nothing" he said softly. "Erm. sorry Gavin" she said, her hands sliding into her pockets. "No, its okay. its okay. I just.. not many have seen it" he said, running a hand through his hair nervously. "Can I ask how it happened?" she said, looking at him. "I guess. I was eight. I think. I was out shopping with my mother, I think. Anyway. long story short, I fell, my mom didn't catch me, and I cracked my head off of a two-by-four. Split the skin pretty deep too. All I remember is that there was a lot of blood and my mother bitching at me for bleeding all over my new clothes" Gavin said, looking at Kittie. She looked at him for a moment, and then nodded. She grabbed him again, but stopped when she felt some resistance from Gavin. "Uhm. could we take a walk though the woods?" he asked sheepishly. She smiled a little and nodded. They turned and walked towards the woods. Scott watched Kittie and the new guy walk towards the woods. He was up in the third story of the school, and supposed to be studying. He ground his teeth, watching that Timebomb getting friendly with one of his friends. Scott had been there at the fight when Gavin had exploded, and what Scott had seen made him understand why the Professor had wanted Gavin in the school. Gavin was a super power, which is to say a Mutant with extraordinarily powerful abilities. Scott had seen Gavin, that young lad, standing there, energy crackling around him, the high school reduced to rubble, and him just hovering there. There wasn't anything they could do, Gavin's main power was manipulation of matter, and he had erected a field around himself that was totally impervious. It was only until the Professor had arrived and brought the young Timebomb too heel with his telepathic powers that they had a chance. Gavin had killed over fifty people that day, but the courts had ruled that he was not of a sane mind at the time, and he remanded him to the care of Xavier's School. No one had any idea how powerful Gavin was, and no one wanted to figure that out either. As Scott watched the pair walk into the woods, Jean walked into his room. "Hey you" she said, walking up behind him and hugging him. "Hey" He said quietly. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Nothing. Just keeping an eye on the Timebomb" "Oh calm down, the Professor put a damn heavy-duty mental lock on him, the kid's not going to explode again for a long time Scott, and when he does, he'll be able to control it" "But what if he can't?" He asked, turning around and looking at her. "He'll be able too, trust me" she said, smiling at him. She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss, then turned and moved a few books over to them. "Now, about that history homework" She said with a grin. Scott looked at her with a smile and nodded, sitting down beside her. 


	5. Shrapnel

It was a few weeks later, and things had returned to a semblance of normality at the school. Gavin had been joined by three other latent mutants, a young boy about 13 years of age, and two young ladies about 15 years old. Gavin still kept mostly to himself, save for the special classes he attended with Professor Xavier, who would coach the four Latent mutants in the control of their powers. Each of the Latent mutants had Exploded at one time or another, and the Professor knew each of their 'levers', as he termed it. The two young ladies, Alicia and Katryna, were fairly normal as Mutants went. They had begun to show control over their powers, and would soon be able to be able to totally control their powers. Alicia was an Electro-kinetic, she could control electricity with her mind, and Katryna could shape her bones and flesh into any shape she wanted, although it was usually weaponry. The young man was named Stephen, and he could project force fields from his hands. Gavin was still unable to even get a flicker of his power, but the other Latents knew about Gavin's abilities, and about the mind-lock upon him. The Professor wasn't about to endanger his students. Gavin watched his classmates as they sporadically fired off jolts of power, and he envied them. He wanted to be able to do something, not just sit there and meditate on his powers. Gavin had never been told what he had really done, as far as he knew he had touched off an explosion when he had Exploded. Gavin didn't know how much power he had in him. "Professor?" Gavin said quietly. Professor Xavier turned and looked at him. "Yes Gavin?" "I was wondering.. are you sure that I'm a mutant? I mean. I can't do anything. All I ever seem to do is sit here, take up space, and meditate." The Professor smiled a little. "Everything will come in its own time Gavin, it's alright. Now, I want you to concentrate. Concentrate on how you felt just before you blacked out at school." Gavin nodded and he sat down again, letting his mind go silent and he began to think. The Professor smiled and quietly turned away, letting Gavin meditate in silence. The Professor knew that if Gavin was handled correctly, his powers nurtured and guided, Gavin could become one of the most powerful Mutants ever to graduate from this school, but the Professor also knew that Gavin was like a powder keg. One spark could set him off at a very in-opportune time. If Gavin's powers activated too early, it would drive Gavin over the edge, in effect creating a mutant equal in power and dark motivation to Apocalypse. The Professor shuddered slightly when he thought of Apocalypse. What a waste. Apocalypse was a mutant driven insane by the sheer amount of power he had. "Professor?" said Alicia, her voice like little tinkling bells. He looked at her and smiled. "Yes Alicia?" "I was wondering.. If we do ever learn to control our powers like everyone else can, will we be sent out for missions?" "Well. that remains to be seen. maybe, if you're ready at the time" Alicia seemed content with that answer, and went back to her exercises, which was lighting light bulbs that weren't plugged in. The Professor smiled as he looked at these four young people. He was happy that he could help them, make them feel at home, but he was worried. All he could feel from Gavin was darkness, like he was depressed, but so angry as well.  
  
The Professor simply smiled as he turned towards Gavin, who was still sitting on the floor meditating. As usual, Gavin was wearing plain jeans and a dark red hoodie, the hood pulled up to cover his face. Katryna walked over to the Professor. "Zir, I vas vondering, do you zhink zhat ve shall be done anytime zoon?" she asked, her Norwegian accent thick. "There's only ten minuets left in class Katryna, now please, go and practise. I would like to speak to Gavin" "Yez zir" She said. The Professor watched her walk back to her desk, wearing a long black dress and a grey knit sweater. Her red hair was pulled back under a handkerchief, and she looked every bit the new arrival that she was. The Professor turned back to Gavin, hearing him muttering under his breath. "Crawling in my Skin, these wounds that will not heal, Fear inside my soul, confusing what is real. There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface, consuming, confusing, This lack of self control I fear is never ending, controlling, I can't seem to find myself again, my walls are closing in, I've felt this way before, so insecure." The Professor knew the song, but Gavin sang it as if he experienced it first hand. The Professor looked at Gavin and tapped him on the shoulder. "Gavin?" he asked. The young man opened his eyes, focusing on the Professor. "Uhm.. sorry. was I too loud?" he asked, looking down at the ground. "No Gavin, I was just coming over to tell you that you've done enough for the day. Do you want to talk about anything?" Gavin looked at the Professor, and he shook his head no. The Professor nodded and rolled away in his wheelchair. "You are dismissed, tomorrow I want you all to bring a pad of paper and a pen" The four students nodded and quickly shuffled out. Gavin walked away from the other three, and they went off without even noticing. Gavin walked outside and went into the woods, one of his favourite places. He had never known that walking in a place like this was so soothing. He simply walked around for a long time, maybe an hour or more, until he was found by Kittie. "Gavin!" He turned, seeing Kittie phase through a tree. "Would you not do that!" he said as he shivered a little. He worried about what would happen if Kittie were to become solid while she was in something. He pushed the thoughts aside and smiled, looking at Kittie. She was wearing a blue tank top and khaki shorts. "You okay?" she asked. She knew that Gavin didn't like it when she phased, and she really hadn't intended to go through the tree, she had tripped and phased through the tree on instinct. "Yeah, just had another wonderful session of meditation in the Latent class" he said glumly as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. Kittie smiled a little, she knew that Gavin was having a hard time, but she simply smiled at him, hooking her arm around his. Gavin looked at her. "So. uhm.. what's up?" he asked. "Not much, just thought I'd go and see if you were walking out here" "Don't you have a class?" "Nope, just got out of the last one" "That's good. you wanna just walk. or go sit someplace?" He smiled sheepishly at her. "I've been sitting all day, I wanna go for a walk!" she said with her usual exuberance, and Gavin just smiled. He was content to walk with Kittie; he had developed quite a crush on her in the few weeks that he knew her, forgetting almost entirely about Jean Grey. Gavin walked through the forest for a while with Kittie, the both of them content in the silence, when Gavin heard water off to his right. "I didn't think we were that far back yet" he said, stopping. "What?" Kittie asked, looking at him. "I hear water." "Oh? Oh! That! That's the pool, they put it our here to make it look like a natural pond. Hey! That gives me an idea!" Gavin looked at her, swallowing. "Oh? What's that?" He asked, faking fear. "You wanna go for a swim?" she asked. Gavin blinked, and before he could answer, he was being pulled through the woods at high speed again. They arrived at the pool soon enough, Kittie diving right in, phasing out of her clothes and leaving the tank-ini she was wearing on. Gavin blinked, sliding out of the hoodie and his jeans. All he had on was an old pair of black swim trunks, and he slowly walked out to the edge of the pool. "Come on in! The water is great!" Kittie called as she waved at him. Gavin dunked a foot into the water, and it was nearly perfect temperature, just a little on the cool side. He took a breath and began to wade in. It wasn't too long until he was in up to his waist, and he took a single deep breath and dove in. He smiled as he surfaced, floating on the water's surface. Kittie watched him from the side of the pool, smiling. Gavin was a  
  
tall-ish guy, and he had kept in shape. She just watched him as he floated there, and she smiled. "You seem peaceful" was all she said. "I like the water" Gavin said as he floated, his voice soft. "Tell me, what's it like?" "What's what like?" "Being normal" Gavin looked at her. "Askin' the wrong guy Kittie. I was one of the social outcasts. even by the social outcasts" He said with a little laugh. "Yeah. but at least you could walk around and not have sidelong glances thrown at you" "True. I guess it was just. different. No real way to explain it.. I just. existed." Kittie looked at him, softly smiling. She slid into the water silently, and she didn't make a sound as she came over. Gavin had closed his eyes, enjoying the smooth movements of the water. He felt something encircle him, and then felt someone kiss him. His eyes flipped open, looking at Kittie, his arms, moving with their own accord, lightly hugged Kittie as he stood without breaking the kiss. "Uhm." he said, blinking as Kittie broke the kiss. She smiled slightly at him, chewing on her lower lip a little. "I guess. I. er." Gavin simply smiled and hugged her lightly. He looked at her for a moment. "What was that for?" he asked softly. "Noth-nothing.. I just. erm." "I like you too Kittie" he said softly. He couldn't believe he was being so forward with her! Inside he was quivering like a leaf. Kittie smiled at him and hugged him close. "You know what, maybe we should come back later. when it's a little more private" she said as she swam away from Gavin. He turned and looked over his shoulder, seeing a few of the other students walking towards the pool. Gavin simply smiled as he dove under the water one last time and got out. He gathered his clothes up and left quietly. The other students began swimming, and Gavin walked back to the School. Kittie caught up to him a few minuets later. "Tonight. Midnight." Was all she quietly said as she walked past. Gavin nodded and continued to walk. 


	6. Fire

It was eleven thirty when Gavin finally couldn't stand it any longer. He got up and snuck out of the school and went to the pool. And there was Kittie, floating on the water silently, her pale skin almost glowing in the moonlight. Gavin smiled softly as he approached, purposely making noise to let her know he was there. He sat down at the water's edge and slid his legs into the water. It was a little warmer, but that was most likely because it was cooler outside. He smiled softly as he watched Kittie float by, and she looked at him and smiled, beckoning him into the water. Gavin slid in silently and began to float himself. He heard movement off to his side, but he didn't move to see. Kittie swam over to him, and Gavin heard something splat wetly on the side of the pond. He raised an eyebrow as he turned over, standing as he did, to see Kittie standing at the edge of the pond, removing her top. Gavin blushed to his knees as he looked at her, and slid under the water. Kittie smiled, her arms crossed over her chest, and she slid back into the water. Gavin couldn't get a word out, he was stuttering continually. Kittie smiled seductively and hugged Gavin. "I love you, Gavin Strommier" she said softly. Gavin smiled, hugging her back, and then blinked once. ^But I never told her my last name^ Gavin looked at her. Kittie smiled again, and then she grinned with a evil glint in her eyes. Gavin watched as she stepped away, flung a hand back, and was hit with a force that was a lot more than Kittie could ever muster. It was like being hit by a train, and Gavin blacked out. Kittie grinned as she hauled Gavin out. Mystique grinned in her own evil way as she hauled Gavin's unconscious form out of the pond. "Tsk. Men, always thinking with the wrong head" she said with an evil leer, dragging Gavin off by his legs.  
  
The next morning came and went without notice. Classes went on as usual, and no one noticed that Gavin was missing. It was only after class, when Kittie and Gavin were going to be going out to a movie, that they noticed something was wrong. Kittie was waiting at the front doors for Gavin, and Ororo was waiting there with her. Ororo had been chosen to 'mentor' Gavin, as she was, in the Professor's opinion, the one person that was older than him who could really help him. Ororo and Kittie had been waiting for over half an hour when Kittie looked at her teacher. "Ms. Monrou, are you sure Gavin didn't say anything about not being able to come?" "I'm positive, he's never been late before, and always made sure I knew where he was" She looked at her watch, and he was now 45 minuets late.  
  
"I'm going to see the Professor" said Ororo. Kittie looked at her. "Well, I'm coming too" she said. Ororo looked at Kittie, and she nodded. The two of them went off in search of the Professor. It took them ten minuets to finally locate the Professor, who had been using Cerrebro, and the two women began talking to the Professor the instant they saw him. "Professor! We need your help, we can seem to find Gavin" The Professor looked at the two of them, nodding. "I know, I just looked over the attendance records for the day, Gavin wasn't in any of his classes, and neither were Alexis, Katryna, or Stephen. I can't locate them with Cerrebro either" The Professor looked puzzled. Kittie looked at the Professor, then to Ms. Monrou. "What does this mean??" she asked, a little scared. "It means that we have to find them, fast" The Professor said solemnly. 


	7. Scorchmarks

Gavin awoke with a throbbing headache and a coppery taste in his mouth. He had been dreaming, and it was really weird too. Something about a pond, and Kittie, but the rest was really hazy. Gavin looked around, where ever he was, was dimly lit and Gavin was feeling very tired. He tried to sit up, but just couldn't find the strength. He lay back down on the cool bed he was on, and drifted back to sleep. "So, it seems that our friend is nearly awake" she said, her voice dripping with venom. "Yes, it seems he is" said a deep voice. Mystique smiled and looked up into the yellow eyes of her master. "So sir, what do you plan to do to him, hm?" she asked with a malevolent grin. "I intend to give him what he wants most. His powers" He grinned sadistically and began to walk over to where the young man was laying. "Gavin Strommier, you shall be re-born this night.." He said as he began to turn on machines and put syringes into Gavin's arms and legs. Mystique smiled as she watched, this would be a sweet revenge. Taking one of Xavier's own students and turning him against them. This one had been so easy to take too. Mystique grinned as she thought of all the havoc she'd cause, especially after nabbing the other three timebombs and hiding them all over the world. They would be easy to find, but it would give them the time that they needed to complete what they had planned. Apocalypse grinned his sadistic grin as he worked on the poor child. He really did pity this young one, such a waste of time to wait for him to come into his powers, better to give them to him now, and let him distract the world for what was really going on. Oh yes, Apocalypse knew exactly what he was doing. This young man's powers would be the perfect cover for Apocalypse to execute his plans for world domination. While those puny X- Men were out dealing with Gavin, Apocalypse would be solidifying his hold over the entire world. It was three months later. Professor had located Alexis, Katryna, and Stephen, but still hadn't found Gavin. The three had been found around the world, Katryna in New York, Stephen in the Andes Mountains, and Alexis in Africa, each of them were not totally sure how they got there, but they were all happy to be home. The Professor had talked with each of them, asking if they had seen Gavin or knew what had happened to him. The Professor was talking with Stephen when Kittie came in. "Professor was it." she said, stopping in mid-sentence when she saw that Gavin hadn't been found yet. "Hi Kittie. ermm. sorry. but I didn't see Gavin that night. Although." he said, thinking. Kittie's eyes brightened. "Although?" asked the Professor. "I did see someone, a woman with dark skin and red hair" "Dark skin and red hair?" said Kittie. "Like blue-black skin. Real creepy looking too. looked more like some big cat on the prowl" Stephen said with a shiver. "Blue-Black skin you say?" asked the Professor. "Yeah. freaky yellow eyes too" he said. "I think I know who were dealing with" The Professor went over to his desk and called up a file. "Is this her?" he asked, turning the screen towards Stephen. He looked at the woman. "Yeah, that's her" he said, nodding. Kittie looked at the screen. "Mystique!" she said, squeaking the word out. "Yes Kittie, Mystique. I think that once we find her, we can find Gavin" he said. 


End file.
